Big goofy dude Jason Segel, who will forever have a place in our hearts after playing Nick Andopolis in Freaks & Geeks, is killing it at the Sundance Film Festival right now, with a performance that is being tipped as a possible contender for next year’s Oscars.
Segel plays David Foster Wallace in The End Of The Tour, a comedic drama about a road trip with the late author as he did press for his novel Infinite Jest, co-starring Jesse Eisenberg.
Wallace committed suicide in 2008, and the idea of a movie about his life was a controversial one among fans, especially when it emerged that the guy from How I Met Your Mother might be playing him.
By all accounts, The End Of The Tour has blown everyone the hell away. The Hollywood Reporter‘s David Rooney praised Segel for his “heartbreaking portrayal” of Wallace, calling his “wryly candid” performance his best work since Freaks & Geeks.
The Verge’s Emily Yoshida called the performance “really wonderful; sensitive and subtle, a pleasant surprise after the somewhat wince-inducing paparazzi photos of him on set in full bandana-and-wire-rim cosplay regalia made the internet rounds last year.”
Mike Ryan of Uproxx called The End Of The Tour “a truly great film” and the best he’s seen at the festival so far, adding:
“Personally, I think Jason Segel is a talented actor who has been waiting for a role like this for a long time. I didn’t feel trepidation, but I was certainly curious. Admittedly, the last thing I wanted to see was Segel “going for his Oscar” and really amping up Wallace’s demons. Instead, Segel portrays Wallace as a kind man who loves his dogs. He’s shy, but also clever and funny. Segel’s Wallace is certainly aloof, but probably anyone would be with a reporter following his every step. There’s a devilish nature to Segel’s performance that makes Wallace seem, more than anything … human.”
In short, Marshall Eriksen may well have a shot at being the tallest guy on the Oscar podium next year.
Photo: Sean Gallup via Getty Images
